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Bullying can have different effects in one child’s life, depending on his role on the prevalent bullying incident. A kid can be the initiator of bullying, the victim, or a victim who eventually becomes a bully, too. This vicious cycle is translated to a hard-hitting truth revealed by the Journal of the American Medical Association wherein 3.2 million out of 3.7 million sixth to tenth graders are affected by the beastial beast called bullying.

With the increasing number of youth being involved in these bullying situations, now is the right time for parents and educators to address the real causes of bullying—the real roots of the problem this time. What are the reasons why kids are bullied? How do they affect your children’s role in this never-ending cycle? How do you pinpoint it the minute your child comes back to your house from school? What makes someone a bully? Be aware of these 15 factors that causes a kid to be bullied, to be a victim, or to be a mix of both roles.

Bullies attack their victims as an outlet from negative situations in their families. Photo by Thomas Ricker via Flickr, Creative Commons

1. Bullies are 3 times more likely to have dysfunctional families. Experts reveal that negative family situations such as broken family relations are positively associated with kids being involved in bullying. Research also shows that a kid who actively sees bullying taking place at home also develops bullying behaviors. This is also considered as one major cause of bullying among children.

Bullying is a subject matter that should not be ignored, but rather should be addressed head-on. Each state in America addresses bullying in a different manner in order to teach a hard lesson to those involved. In some cases, bullying, together with other related behaviors such as cyber bullying, are addressed in a single or multiple laws. There are also situations wherein bullying is part of a criminal code that may apply to the youth and criminal charges can be made. At present, no specific federal law has been applied to bullying. Among the reported cases of bullying because of color, race, sex, disability, religion, or natural origin, it overlaps with harassment cases and schools are given the legal authority required to address the situation at hand.

Have we crossed the line when it comes to bullying? Photo by Alan Cleaver via Flickr, Creative Commons

With increasing incidents of bullying, especially reported cases of deaths caused and initiated by bullying, certain steps should be done accordingly to protect your child from being a bullied victim. However, in dealing with such bullying cases, a big question always pops up the moment authorities come face-to-face with the bully and the victim.

As a parent, your number one concern is the safety of your kid during play. You get alarmed once you see your child getting bruised in the playground. When this happens, you probably feel like blaming yourself for not providing enough care to your child. You need to consider, though, the other factors that may contribute to accidents happening in the playground. Factors such as not having high-quality and safe playground surfaces may just be one of the causes for playground-related accidents.

Being bullied is not a pleasant thing that can happen to anyone. Threats, pranks, or harsh words can linger to a victim’s mind long enough to cause emotional distress, anxiety, and fear. A child can wake up in the middle of the night, worried of tomorrow’s school day as it presents another opportunity to come face-to-face with his bully. Walking through the main doors of the school to his classroom is a struggle because at any moment, his bully might attack him. If you think that these examples are just the ones that a bullied child faces, you may want to look further beyond the incident and see what lies ahead for a victim of bullying, especially when the victim is your own child.

Here are the long-term effects of bullying that you need to know in order for you to take steps against it:

Allowing your child to play freely and safely in the playgrounds can help reduce bullying and help establish your

child’s social relations. Photo by David Robert Bliwas via Flickr, Creative Commons

1. A Bullied Child’s Immune System is Weaker

Bullying can have long lasting implications to a child’s health and he may continue to experience it as he grows up. Frequently bullied children may experience backaches, stomach aches, injuries that require medical care, and dizziness. The health problems can accumulate and may worsen over time.